Which is more reliable, Volvo or Lexus?
Lexus comes out ahead: Volvo 1.64 vs Lexus 0.58 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022). Volvo owners filed 2.8× as many complaints per vehicle sold as Lexus owners.
By CarWhere Research · Updated November 2026 · Method
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022; published U.S. sales). Not a survey, not Consumer Reports' method, and not repair frequency.
Volvo vs Lexus at a glance
| Volvo | Lexus | |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints per 1,000 sold | 1.64 | 0.58 |
| Serious-safety complaints per 1,000 | 0.16 | 0.09 |
| Rank of 19 brands | #6 | #1 |
| Models covered | 4 | 8 |
| Vehicles sold (rated model years) | 724,311 | 1,799,736 |
| Owner complaints | 1,189 | 1,048 |
| Share of brand U.S. sales covered | 94.5% | 76.6% |
| Top complaint areas | Electrical system 26.7% · Engine 24.9% · Brakes 11.3% | Air bags 16.6% · Fuel / propulsion 14.1% · Brakes 13.9% |
| Recall campaigns (vehicles covered) | 133 (2.8 million) | 61 (347,080) |
Model years 2015–2022. Lower is better. Serious-safety complaints are those where the owner reported a crash, a fire or at least one injury. Recall campaigns are NHTSA campaigns filed January 2016 to September 2026; vehicles covered counts a vehicle once per campaign.
What drives the numbers
- Volvo's count is driven most by 2016 XC90 complaints about engine and electrical system (198, 16.7% of Volvo's complaints). Other models with rates above Volvo's overall 1.64: S60 / V60 (1.87).
- Lexus's count is driven most by 2015–2017 RX complaints about engine and brakes (264, 25.2% of Lexus's complaints). Other models with rates above Lexus's overall 0.58: LS (1.45), GS (0.74), CT (0.93).
Volvo vs Lexus complaints per 1,000 sold, by model year
Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are still growing. Compare the two lines within a year, not one year against another.
| Model year | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volvo | 2.09 | 3.92 | 1.75 | 1.05 | 1.32 | 0.91 | 1.30 | 1.67 |
| Lexus | 0.64 | 0.67 | 0.77 | 0.46 | 0.64 | 0.51 | 0.53 | 0.35 |
What Volvo and Lexus owners complain about
Share of each brand's NHTSA complaints naming the area (a complaint can name more than one).
Volvo
- Electrical system26.7% · 317
- Engine24.9% · 296
- Brakes11.3% · 134
- Fuel / propulsion7.9% · 94
- Body structure6.6% · 79
- Forward collision avoidance6.3% · 75
Lexus
- Air bags16.6% · 174
- Fuel / propulsion14.1% · 148
- Brakes13.9% · 146
- Engine11.7% · 123
- Electrical system10.9% · 114
- Powertrain / transmission6.6% · 69
Model matchups
Each brand's best-selling model in the classes both sell, on the same per-1,000-sold measure.
Three-row SUV vs midsize suv: Volvo XC90 vs Lexus RX
The Lexus RX has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Volvo XC90 1.93 vs Lexus RX 0.64 complaints per 1,000 sold. The XC90's most-cited area is engine (32%); the RX's is air bags (18.5%).
1.93 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 484 complaints / 250,579 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2011
- Years to avoid:
- 2016, 2017
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 32% · Electrical system 30% · Brakes 11%
Lexus RX(whole line)
0.64 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 547 complaints / 853,444 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2011, 2012, 2014
- Years to avoid:
- 2008, 2010, 2017, 2019, 2023, 2024
- Top complaint areas:
- Air bags 18.5% · Fuel / propulsion 15.4% · Engine 13.7%
Compact cars: Volvo S60 / V60 vs Lexus IS
The Lexus IS has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Volvo S60 / V60 1.87 vs Lexus IS 0.52 complaints per 1,000 sold. The S60 / V60's most-cited area is engine (28.7%); the IS's is fuel / propulsion (22.4%).
1.87 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 247 complaints / 132,339 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2012, 2013
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 28.7% · Electrical system 18.2% · Brakes 11.3%
Lexus IS
0.52 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 107 complaints / 205,032 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- None flagged
- Top complaint areas:
- Fuel / propulsion 22.4% · Electrical system 15% · Wheels & tires 12.1%
How these numbers are calculated
complaints per 1,000 sold = NHTSA owner complaints filed for model years 2015–2022 ÷ U.S. vehicles sold in calendar years 2015–2022 × 1,000
Complaints come from NHTSA's public owner-complaint database (NHTSA data), counted once per complaint and matched across NHTSA's trim and body-style names. Vehicles sold are published U.S. calendar-year sales per nameplate. Model years with fewer than 5,000 sold are too few to rate and are left out. A brand gets a score only when its covered models number at least 3 and make up at least 70% of its U.S. sales; rates under 10% apart are called close.
This is the federal complaint rate, not an owner survey or repair-frequency figure. Consumer Reports publishes a survey-based ranking that measures something different. Full method and brand ranking.
Questions
Which is more reliable, Volvo or Lexus?
Lexus comes out ahead: Volvo 1.64 vs Lexus 0.58 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022). Volvo owners filed 2.8× as many complaints per vehicle sold as Lexus owners.
Which has more serious complaints, Volvo or Lexus?
Counting only complaints that report a crash, fire or injury, Volvo logs 0.16 per 1,000 sold and Lexus 0.09. Those are 10% of Volvo's complaints and 16% of Lexus's.
Where do Volvo and Lexus rank overall?
Volvo ranks #6 and Lexus #1 of the 19 brands with enough sales data, ranked by NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold for model years 2015–2022.
What do Volvo and Lexus owners complain about most?
Volvo: electrical system (26.7%), engine (24.9%), brakes (11.3%). Lexus: air bags (16.6%), fuel / propulsion (14.1%), brakes (13.9%). Shares are of each brand's complaints for model years 2015–2022; one complaint can name more than one area.
Which has more recalls, Volvo or Lexus?
From January 2016 to September 2026, NHTSA lists 133 Volvo recall campaigns covering 2,807,451 vehicles and 61 Lexus campaigns covering 347,080. Vehicles covered counts each vehicle once per campaign, so one car in three recalls counts three times. Recalls are fixes the maker files, a different signal from owner complaints.
Is the Volvo XC90 more reliable than the Lexus RX?
The Lexus RX has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Volvo XC90 1.93 vs Lexus RX 0.64 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 250,579 and 853,444 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the XC90: 2016, 2017. Years to avoid on the RX: 2008, 2010, 2017, 2019, 2023, 2024.
Is the Volvo S60 / V60 more reliable than the Lexus IS?
The Lexus IS has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Volvo S60 / V60 1.87 vs Lexus IS 0.52 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 132,339 and 205,032 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the S60 / V60: 2012, 2013.